The Book of Mah jong: An Illustrated Guide (Paperback)

by Amy Lo (Author) "A game of mahjong calls for four players seated at a square table, one on each side..." (more)
Key Phrases: winning tile, fourth identical tile, tile discarded, First Dealer, Lower House, Cantonese Game (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Until now, a comprehensive book on Chinese mahjong for English-speaking readers did not exist. Finally, The Book of Mahjong meets that long-sought need, as author Amy Lo, in consultation with many master players of different forms of mahjong, offers the most complete mahjong guide ever. It includes:
* Over 160 full-color instructive photographs
* Instruction on authentic Chinese mahjong, as well as the Cantonese, Shanghai, and 12-tile versions of the game
* An explanation of rituals and rules only the most experienced players know
* A mahjong guide for all skill levels, from beginners to pros

About the Author
Amy Lo, born in the Canton, China, divides her time between Hong Kong, Tokyo, and the United States. Mahjong, which she has been playing for more than 30 years, is one of her favorite pastimes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804833028
• ISBN-13: 978-0804833028
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #373,089 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but can use some tweaking, July 31, 2001

By	Elvin Chan (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A unique book which covers traditional Cantonese, Shanghainese, 12-tile (13th-wild), and Taiwanese variations of mah jong. Scoring of hands are described in the translated English as well as the equivalent Chinese dialect (through Chinese characters and pin yin). Most other books address play and scoring using Western or Japanese standards, where as this book best describes the game that is played by my family.

Diagrams are useful in explaining the hands, but unfortunately in some cases the diagrams are misplaced in the layout and not labelled properly for best clarity.

The book is in paperback now. I hope that it sells well enough to garner a second edition.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good addition to the Mahjongg library, February 14, 2002

By A Customer

This book has excellent graphics. Good introduction to the 3 variations of the game without all the complications added by Western players using the American/Jewish or Officers Wives clubs.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have..., February 27, 2004

By	W. Sweet (Northampton, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

...if you intend to play the game the way the majority of the people on the planet play it. Oddly this is the only book readily available in English that does so. She could do a better job explaining the seemingly arcane scoring system, but for the most part this was a much appreciated addition to my library.